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I haven't played Magic in a while because I prefer selling cards to keeping them in deck.
... I prefer selling cards to keeping them in 60 card decks.
I don't have a Modern deck built because I had such a good time selling my fetches at ridiculous prices that I don't really have the cards to maintain a deck. Luckily enough, tonight I managed to borrow an Affinity deck and 3-1 my FNM. No big deal. I played awkwardly, the deck pooped on me a few games and I had my fair share of "Oops, I win" moments, usually involving Arcbound Ravager.
So what got me out of my dimly-lit card dungeon where I list cards to sell on buylists every night and got me out to play cards and do some trading? My buddy Joey D who told me that tonight at FNM the format was Modern. I can get behind that. I'm 90% sure if he had told me it was Standard, I'd have stayed home.
How Often Does Your LGS Run Modern FNM?
Or 2-Headed Giant or Draft or Sealed or Legacy or what-have-you? If your shop isn't doing at least one FNM a month that is not Standard, I think they are doing it wrong. Is the turnout relatively small? Have them advertise all over the area and maybe the wacky format will bring some players in from other shops. Is the turnout usually large? Split it and run a pod of Standard and run a pod of the other event. I guarantee there will be enough interest. The other shops in the area can even stagger the "off" week so that it's at a different shop each week, allowing the store to maintain their core and get the extra traffic whenever they do an additional offering.
It can't hurt to suggest it, and if the store where you're playing is unreceptive to customer feedback, you can always do what I did and start going to a shop that listens. Not everyone has a Modern deck, but for those who do, it's a good environment to ease into the format. Have a spare deck to lend out in case a few people show up not knowing the format is Modern but still want to play. Getting your local metagame better at Magic by expanding their horizons helps everyone. You'll trade out a ton of Modern staples to people trying to finish their decks each time there is an event. This is good for the store, good for you as a trader and financier and good for the player base. I can't think of anyone it's bad for.
Run it by the owner if there isn't enough variety in the schedule. You don't even have to play- just go hang out and trade. I got better trades tonight than I do when there is Standard FNM and it can work for you, too. Your store owner is no idiot- if you let them know your group wants variety by expressing a willingness to vote with your wallets, they'll give the community what they want.
The only LGS in town used to run weekly FNM Legacy tournaments up until last September (2013), at which point they switched over to weekly FNM Modern tournaments. As Legacy is my favorite format I must admit, I was a little disappointed (cue sad face).
However, I still wanted to play and socialize every week at FNM, so I brewed up a Modern deck based off of my Legacy Mono-B Pox deck. Turns out Modern is a fun format, with plenty of room still open to brew and create. It also turns out that just about EVERYONE else loves playing Modern every FNM as well. The store is absolutely packed every week! Energy and spirits are high, and Modern has really taken off locally.
Although reluctant to go along with it at first, having the LGS mix things up from week to week (or month to month) was a very good thing for the Magic community and the LGS’s business. Open minds = open wallets = open LGS’s!!